Blade Division FAQ
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How Should I Prepare My Blades Prior To Shipment?
Remove all burrs from edges and from around holes. No sharp edges for safety reasons; please plan to finish grind after the heat-treating process. Sharp spines are acceptable.
A hole in the tang is helpful during processing, allowing us to hang the blades vertically. The hole should be at least 1/8” in diameter.
Cutting edge thickness is important in order to help prevent the edge from warping in a wave pattern. This warpage cannot be corrected after it occurs. Non-aggressive and symmetrical grinding will help to reduce stress and warpage. The grit size does not matter, whatever the maker is comfortable with.
The following grind stock should be left on the edge of the blades:
- Air hard edge thickness: 0.015” minimum
- Oil hard edge thickness: 0.030” minimum
Where Do I Send The Blades?
Peters’ Heat Treating, Inc.
11010 McHenry Street
Meadville, PA 16335
Be sure to include a Customer Sheet in the package with your blades. The information on this form tells us whose account the job is for and gives us processing instructions. Excluding this information will add time to the turnaround of your order.
How Do I Package The Blades For Shipment?
Package your knives securely in the box so that they cannot move. They will cut themselves out of the box if they can slide or shift. Wrapping in a newspaper or similar material works well. Putting a protective covering (such as cardboard) over the blade tip & edge will help to prevent damage during shipping.
Include instructions along with your blades regarding steel type, hardness requirements, and any other special needs using the Customer Sheet.
What Is The Method For Return Shipment?
We will return ship using the same method in which we received the blades unless otherwise instructed. We can ship USPS or UPS. Please advise on the Customer Sheet if express shipping or insurance is needed for the return trip. Insurance will not be included on return shipping unless it is requested on this sheet. Customer bears the risk of loss during transportation and shall maintain appropriate insurance to cover such risk of loss.
Does Peters' Heat Treating Ship Internationally?
Peters’ Heat Treating, Inc. ships within the United States. You may inquire about possible exceptions to Canada and/or Australia but additional service handling fees will apply.
When Should I Expect My Order To Return Ship?
- Due to our premium service approach, return delivery is typically 2-3 weeks. However, lead time can increase during holiday seasons and due to team vacations. Please check back on the website as we do our best to post all delays.
- Payment is required before your order is shipped back to you.
What Is The Maximum Length Of Blade Accepted For Heat Treating?
- Oil hard maximum capacity is 24” in length.
- All other steel maximum capacity is 50” in length.
How Do I Pay For My Order?
Custom blade order payment is due upon completion of the work so an up-to-date credit card must be on file. You must have credit card information on file. The return shipping will be added to your processing total and charged to your card prior to the return shipment of your order. Please include your credit card information on page 2 of the Customer Sheet. You can also call 814.333.1782 to update the card information on file. You must call us to ensure a method of payment is set up.
What are the Terms & Conditions for my order?
All work is performed subject to the MTI Statement of Limited Liability. You can read the full terms here: https://petersheattreat.com/terms-conditions/. If you send us parts to be processed, you are agreeing to these Terms and Conditions.
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What Hardness Can I Expect On My Blades And What Does The Testing Process Entail?
We will harden to the customer’s requested hardness unless we feel that the request is unrealistic, in which case the customer will be contacted to discuss options.
If you are unsure what hardness is best for your material please note that you would like a recommendation on your Customer Sheet and we will heat treat to the appropriate hardness based on your material type.
We aim to hardness test where we feel from experience is least likely to show. If you would like the testing to happen in a particular place, please let us know on your Customer Sheet when you send your order. If you would like us not to test your blades please send an extra piece of the same material with your order that we can use as a test piece (and note the request on your Customer Sheet).
We are not comfortable returning your work without hardness testing as it is our job to supply quality material heat treated to the proper hardness.
Will My Blades Warp?
Almost all blades warp a little bit during the hardening cycle. We will do all that we can during the processing to reduce or eliminate warpage. Because of the propensity for warpage, delays or extra costs may be incurred. At the end of the process, blades will be straightened out as best as possible.
There will be an additional cost if stress relieving is added at the beginning of the process. Because of this additional process, the turnaround time will be extended.
Why Are There Marks On My Heat Treated Blades?
Our straightening methods employ low heat and pressure and this may leave heat marks on your blades. We try to reduce the impact on the surface, but we cannot eliminate it completely. Peters’ Heat Treating Blade Division is not responsible for surface finish blemishes on knives with less than 0.010″ grind stock. Straightening methods vary based on blade alloy/geometry/other factors and this may present during secondary finishing operations if not reviewed. Please note on your Customer Sheet sent with your job if straightening should be omitted to minimize any issues with surface blemishes.
What Is Considered An Order Or Job?
Each steel grade is a separate order. The same steel grade but different hardness is also a separate order.
Why is Stress Relieving required for AEB-L/Nitro-V/Sandvik Steels?
AEB-L, Nitro-V and Sandvik steels (such as 12C27, 13C26, 14C28N) require a stress relief with handling charge. This is a $43.00 minimum charge + $0.60/lb. This will be automatically added to your job to ensure that the straightness meets our standards of quality. Due to this additional process, the turnaround time will be extended.
What do I need to know if I’m using Magnacut?
All Magnacut should be prepped in accordance with best industry practice, i.e. surface ground – oversized. Due to the fine structure of this steel, any mill scale or oxidation remaining on the surface can impact the heat treat response negatively in the form of excessive distortion and/or potential decarburization at the surface. Peters’ Heat Treating will strive to do our best with any unprepared Magnacut but cannot guarantee the level of quality straightness that we hold to other blade steels. Peters’ Heat Treating has processed over 64,000 blades of Magnacut for over 100 different customers. Any questions, please call us at 814-333-1782.
Who Can I Contact For Pricing, Shipping And Payment Questions?
Call the office at 814.333.1782 and the ladies will be able to help.
Who Can I Contact To Discuss Technical Questions Regarding The Heat Treatment Of My Blades?
Contact Brad Stallsmith at 814.333.1782 or send an email to blades@petersheattreat.com if you have questions or concerns.
Why Do My Daily Job Status Emails Keep Showing The Same Status?
Within a 2-week lead-time, the breakdown of time is as follows: 1 week in Receiving, 1 week in Processing, and 1 day in Shipping. Therefore, you may see your job in Receiving for many emails before Processing begins. Processing statuses may include Tempering, Waiting on Cryo, Cryo, Waiting on Inspection, etcetera. If our lead-time is extended, you will see your job in Receiving for a longer period of time. We recommend changing your Job Tracking Portal account settings to: Email when jobs are placed in SHIPPING and access to web data. There is also an option to have access to status via the online portal and not receive automated status emails.
Can You Recommend Vendors For Other Services?
Peters’ Heat Treating, Inc. is located in “Tool City”, PA. There is a breadth of other resources in Meadville that could be utilized for CNC machining, water jetting, laser cutting, laser engraving, grinding and other services. Check out the NWPA website for the National Tooling and Machining Association for a full list of member companies: nwpa-ntma.com/directory.php
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